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BACKGROUND
What a week we have. I know two sections doesn't sound like much, but you'd be wrong. These two sections are absolutely jam packed with awesome truths. You could take this lesson in so many different directions. They are rich, they are deep, they are wonderful. In fact, let me just give you an idea of all the different topics you could cover in just these two sections.
· Adversity
· Persecution
· Obedience
· Celestial Rewards
· Citizenship
· Agency
· Correction
· Responsibility
· Repentance
· Missionary Work
· Civility
· Commandments
· Gratitude
· Sacrifice
· Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy
· Fasting
· Happiness
· The Creation
· Using the Earth's Resources
Your challenge as a teacher now is deciding which ideas you want to cover and how you wish to cover them. Sometimes, you may decide to go into great depth on just a few topics. However, sometimes it's not a bad idea to take the shotgun approach and cover a lot of different principles and then allow your students and the Spirit work together to go into depth on the principles that are most critical for them. That's how I'd like to approach the lesson this week. We're going to hit a lot of different truths, but we're going to water ski more than scuba dive. Then you can allow some time for your class to ponder the specific principles they need most.
Maybe some of you have noticed that my approach to the Scriptures usually involves giving your class what I would call a handle. That's the challenge of the teacher. The Scriptures have so much packed into them that sometimes it's difficult to carry the specific messages into your heart. One of the great values of a teacher is in providing a handle for your students to carry the truths away--a mental framework or way of organizing the truths of the scriptures in a simple yet meaningful package. Of course, there is great value in going verse by verse, but this is an approach usually reserved for personal study. There is also great value in pulling back and looking at the big picture and seeing how the different parts relate and interact with each other. You are definitely going to benefit by going tree by tree but looking at the forest as a whole can also provide unique insight and understanding. There is a trade-off in both approaches.
ICEBREAKER
So, for a handle this week, I like to use the following object lesson. I like to bring in a large Lego model. Now Lego's are a Wilcox family favorite so I have an insane amount of them, but you could bring in an example of anything that you have built. But I might bring in this Lego Pirate Ship I built with my son a few years ago and ask if any of them have ever built something out of Legos or anything else for that matter. What's something you've built that you are proud of? And then allow a few of them to share. And then I explain that I'm not creative or smart enough to design this kind of thing on my own. I needed some help. And at that point I pull out the instruction manual and tell them that I had to have this in order to know how to create this. It's nice to have instructions before you start building.
TRANSITION
You can then transition to the scriptures by telling them that these two sections mark the beginning of a new building project in the church. They contain instructions for that project. That building project was a city--a holy city. And what was the name of that city? If you're not sure you can find it in the Section Heading of 58. It's Zion. The Saints are beginning to build Zion. Zion was the name of the city that Enoch established which was taken up into heaven in righteousness. It's the kingdom of God on earth. Now last week we didn't really go into section 57 because I figured I'd save it for now. Section 57 is the first revelation received in Zion and designates the city of Independence in Jackson County Missouri as the gathering place of Zion for the early Saints, and even clarifies the spot for a temple. A word that keeps coming up in this section is plant. Which is an interesting word to use seeing as the question that prompted this section was "When will the wilderness blossom as the rose? Before you have blossoms, you have to plant something first. Before you build something, you need instructions.
Sections 58 and 59 are the initial instruction manual for building Zion. Now just like with Legos, or any other project for that matter, you build it piece by piece. One brick on top of another until something incredible is created. I like to look at these sections as a collection of building blocks or bricks of Zion. Each one is essential to the overall structure. And what you're going to notice is that they aren't detailed blueprints for constructing homes and churches and printing offices and schools, although those things are important. Rather, these are instructions for building people. A Zion people. Because that's really what Zion is. Later, the Doctrine & Covenants is going to define Zion as "The pure in heart", not necessarily a specific geographical location. That's why it doesn't really bother me that the Jackson County experiment kind of fails, doesn't it? They failed to create the right kind of people or community in that place. But that's ok, because they're going to try again in Nauvoo, and Salt Lake, and eventually all over the world as stakes are established. The geographic location of Zion doesn't really matter as much as the people that are being built. So what I've done, is I've divided the sections up into different bricks. Each brick represents an attitude or characteristic of a Zion Zone people, for lack of a better term. Zion Zone people are not your average disciples. They don't just live the bare minimum of obedience. These are people that are raising the bar for themselves, that are striving for the next level, that are growing brighter and brighter until the perfect day. These are principles of spiritual maturity, which also means they're more challenging.
And here's one way to approach this. You may not have time to do all of them and you don't necessarily need to do them in order. They do pretty much stand alone. You can display a list of all the possible bricks you could talk about and then allow your students a chance to choose which ones that most intrigue them. Who gets to choose? Well usually I start by letting the youngest person in the class choose the first topic. Then the tallest person, then the one whose name comes first alphabetically, then the oldest, then the one who lives the closest, the one with the smallest shoe size, whatever. You could come up with all kinds of determiners. But each "brick" has a specific activity or approach to it as well.
Here are the options:
PICK A BRICK
Trials and Triumph-VIDEO
Course Corrections-SEARCH ACTIVITY
The Powers that Be-FUNNY LAWS
Anxiously Engaged-OBJECT LESSON
Divine Forgetfulness-STORY
Commandment Coronation-MARKING ACTIVITY
Sabbath-Day Suggestions-HANDOUT
Creation Relation-VIDEO
Now you don't need to go in order, but I will just for clarity's sake.
TRIALS AND TRIUMPH (58:2-5)
The activity for this section is a video. One of my favorites. It's called "Good Things to Come" and is based on a talk given by Elder Holland back in 1999. It's very good and matches beautifully with the message of this section. But before they watch, ask them to look for what they feel is the major message of the video.
Then when it is over, have them read 58:2-5 on their own and pick a phrase that they feel would make a good title for the video and be ready to explain why. Then let them share.
Here's what they say:
58:2-4
2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.
4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.
5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow.
For me, I would entitle the video: "After much tribulation, come the blessings". Like Elder Holland said, "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."
Zion zone people understand this divine but difficult truth about tribulation. The blessings come after. And that would certainly be true for the Missouri Saints wouldn't it. It's almost as if he's preparing them for it. I mean, this is just at the beginning, when there really aren't any problems yet. Everyone's excited and optimistic. I mean, this is the New Jerusalem, and they get to help build it. But there's foreboding in it.
I need you to keep my commandments, whether in life or death? Ooo, that's a troubling way to put it. And yes, some of these Saints will face death in Missouri.
And it's not just "He that is faithful, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven".
But It's "He that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is great".
Then verse 3
He starts out with "You can't imagine what's coming, the glory" then out of the corner of his mouth, "which shall follow after much tribulation:", not just tribulation, but much tribulation.
For after much tribulation come the blessings, Then you're going to be crowned with much glory, but the tribulation is going to come first.
Then verse 5.
5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow.
I want you to remember this little conversation we're having here. I'm warning you now so you won't be surprised when it happens. So, receive that which is to follow. Now I'm curious to know exactly what he is referring to there. Is that referring to the blessings or the tribulation. Or maybe it's a bit of both. Either way, he's saying get ready. Buckle up, things are going to get bad before they get good.
This is not the rolling out the red-carpet kind of introduction to Zion. I's not the opening bell for Disneyland, it's the signing of the waiver form before the risky activity
I find it interesting how the Lord refers to Missouri back in 52:42
42 And thus, even as I have said, if ye are faithful ye shall assemble yourselves together to rejoice upon the land of Missouri, which is the land of your inheritance, which is now the land of your enemies.
The land of your enemies. It does cause one to wonder why God would send them to the land of their enemies to establish Zion. I'm afraid I'm not sure that I have the answer to that question but it's a good one to ponder. Would greater faith be forged? Was this an example of the refiner’s fire? Would things have worked out differently had the Saints been more careful, or obedient, or faithful? I don't know. But the Lord sure seems to be warning them about what's coming. For many of them, great blessings would come in Nauvoo, and in Salt Lake. But for others, I'm sure those blessings didn't come until the heaven. But just as Elder Holland said, for those that remained faithful, I know they came.
TRUTH
So, Zion Zone people realize that blessings come after tribulation. They are people that follow in life and death. They are stayers, who don't shrivel under the sun of persecution. They are people that keep walking down the dusty road of life with their chins up because they know that good things are to come.
COURSE CORRECTIONS (58:14-15/38-39/40-41/60)
As an activity for this section, see who can discover what each of the following verses have in common first. Maybe even give a small treat to the person that can identify the common theme in each.
These verses are directed to four early members of the church. Edward Partridge, Martin Harris, William W. Phelps, and Ziba Peterson. What do they all have in common? If you read them carefully, you'll notice that each receives some kind of correction from the Lord. Edward Partridge is told that if he doesn't repent of his sins which are unbelief and blindness of heart then he could lose his mission. Martin Harris is told in verse 39 to repent of his sins for his seeketh the praise of the world. And that's quite a thing to say because Martin Harris has just been instructed to dedicate a large portion of his wealth to purchase lands in Independence. And I know that sometimes Martin Harris gets a bad rap in church history, but I'm not so sure that's fair. This man sacrificed a lot for the church. I think most members know that without Martin Harris we would not have had the publication of the Book of Mormon. But this fact isn't as well-known. Without Martin Harris we wouldn't have had the initial establishment of the city of Zion either. His wealth paid for much of the land that was purchased in the area. And yet, here he is being corrected by the Lord in the same breath. I can imagine that would've been tough to take correction at the very moment that he was making a huge sacrifice for the church. Lesser man could have really easily been offended by this. But he takes it. William W Phelps is told to repent because he seeks to excel and was not sufficiently meek before God. Ziba Peterson had that which was bestowed taken from him until he was sufficiently chastened for all his sins for he confessed them not and thought to hide them. Those are some pretty severe chastisements. It's one thing to receive these kinds of corrections from your leaders privately, but to have them publicly canonized in Scripture. That's a whole other level of correction. But the key here, is that these men were able to take it and stay faithful. They didn't get offended. They accepted the correction and moved on.
TRUTH
The principle: Zion zone people can handle correction. They recognize the importance of admonition and are willing to receive that divine feedback without getting upset about it. Just imagine how you might react if your bishop publicly corrected you in front of other ward members? Would you be able to handle that and stay committed to your faith and ward? I know of a sister that I met on my mission who refused to return to church because the Relief Society teacher asked her to stop talking because the lesson was beginning. These men were spiritually mature enough and meek enough not to take offense. If we wish to be a Zion people, we too are going to need to learn how to accept and act on divine correction.
THE POWERS THAT BE (58:19-23)
For a quick activity, I like to share some crazy laws from around the United States. These aren't a joke, but are actual laws on the books in these specific states.
· In Alabama, it's illegal to drive blindfolded
· In California, it's illegal to whistle for a lost canary before 7 AM
· In Hawaii, it's illegal to put a coin in your ear
· In Montana, it’s illegal to give a rat to someone as a present
· In South Dakota it's illegal to sleep in a cheese factory
· In Vermont, it's illegal for a woman to wear fake teeth without their husband's approval
· In Arizona, it's illegal for a donkey to sleep in a bathtub
Now those are some strange laws, aren't they? Of course, these are just silly examples and most of the laws we have in our country do make total sense. But these following verses have something to teach us about God's laws and man's laws.
19 For verily I say unto you, my law shall be kept on this land.
20 Let no man think he is ruler; but let God rule him that judgeth, according to the counsel of his own will, or, in other words, him that counseleth or sitteth upon the judgment seat.
21 Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.
22 Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet.
23 Behold, the laws which ye have received from my hand are the laws of the church, and in this light ye shall hold them forth. Behold, here is wisdom.
So, we have two sets of laws being referred to here. The laws of God and the laws of the land. These don't always match up, though, do they? For example, the laws of God instruct us as members not to drink alcohol or use tobacco products. The laws of the land don't. The laws of God condemn adultery, the laws of the land don't. On the other hand, the laws of God don't specifically cover things like traffic violations, building codes, or business practices. Which of the two does God want us to live? Both! It’s true that for us, the laws of God do supersede all. But he makes an important point. Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land. Wherefore be subject to the powers that be. And we are to live in this way until Christ reigns as our King in the millennium. But for now, honor the powers that be.
TRUTH
Zion zone people are good citizens. They respect the laws of the land and do their utmost to uphold them. I mean, that's even one of our Articles of Faith: “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” Jesus was a good example of that principle as well. One of the reasons he was rejected by many of the Jews is because he was not openly defiant of the Romans. The Jews wanted a Savior that would free them politically, but Jesus wanted to free them spiritually. He knew what was more important. He said, "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars, and unto God, the things which are God's". We may not agree with or even like the powers that be, but that's no excuse for us not to do our utmost to be good citizens.
ANXIOUSLY ENGAGED (58:26-29)
For this brick, I like to do an object lesson. What you need to do this is a bike tire, and I find that smaller bike tires, like from a kid’s bike seem to work best and a piece of string tied in a loop. And what you do is you is loop the piece of string around the side of one of the axels, like this. And then ask them what they think will happen if I let go of the tire. And obviously, it's going to fall. But then, what if you spin the bike tire? What if you get it moving? You spin it, and the bike tire almost magically stays upright. It's kind of cool.
Then ask them to read 58:26-29 and explain how these verses relate to the object lesson.
And I love these verses. They are just beautifully stated and simply worded.
26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good, they shall in nowise lose their reward.
29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.
How is this like the object lesson. We've got to keep ourselves spinning if we don't want to fall. We should always be anxiously engaged in something. Always looking for something good to do with our time. It's when we slow down, when we stop making goals and plans, when we just sit around and wait for somebody to tell us what to do, when we stop working hard in something worthwhile, that's when the adversary starts to move in and take control.
These verses represent a higher form of obedience. So far in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord has been very direct and explicit in his commands. He's held their hand and given them very specific instructions. But this is Zion now. He's going to start giving them some latitude. This is obedience on a higher level. This is mature obedience. The kind that says, "You're a big boy or a big girl now", use your initiative and judgment. Do many things of your own free will. I don't need to tell you everything that you need to do, do I? That's the slothful approach to obedience. And what a fun word to use, slothful. In the very first area of my mission in Brazil, in the central park of the city, there were all these sloths up in the trees. I remember watching these little guys slowly picking their way through the branches. We might pass by the park in the morning, and then pass by again later to see that they had hardly moved. In Portuguese they have an even better name. They're called "o bicho preguica" . The lazy beast. God doesn't want lazy beasts in his kingdom. "Lazy beasts receive no reward", the Lord says. And we protest. "But I did what you commanded!" "Yes, but only because you were compelled to". "But I received your commandment" "Yes, but with a doubtful heart", but I kept it" Yes, but with slothfulness".
The Zion Zone person doesn't always need to be told exactly what to do. They recognize the power that is in them. These are empowering verses. Remember that he's trying to make God's out of us. How can we reach His stature if we have no practice in making our own calls and following our own initiative to do good things? Like we said in a past lesson, God doesn't feel the need to micromanage us on everything. And I love that about Him. We have so much freedom! Yes, he does give us specific commandments and he's serious about us keeping them. Case in point, look at verses 30-33. But there is so much more that we get freedom to choose that is not a matter of right and wrong. What career we have, the hobbies we pursue, the skills we develop, the style we wish to have, so much freedom! So he says, get out there and live your lives. I'll give you a few parameters and some things to avoid, but by and large, you are free to choose and bring to pass much righteousness. It's the Garden of Eden lesson. God says to Adam and Eve "Of all the trees of the garden though mayest freely eat". But, just don't eat from this one tree. There is so much more that we can do, than we can't. So don't sit around and wait for a commandment in everything. We can do many things of our own free will and bring to pass much righteousness. When it comes to our callings, when it comes to our spiritual development, when it comes to our roles and responsibilities, when it comes to our personal development. We can anxiously engage with our world and mortal experience.
The sections that follow 58 are ripe with examples of this newly granted latitude. And let's do a few of these. I'll give you the verse, you identify the "anxiously engaged" statement.
· 60:5 as seemeth you good
· 61:22 it mattereth not unto me, accordng to their judgments hereafter
· 62:8 these things remain with you to do according to judgment and the directions of the Spirit.
· 63:40 it mattereth not unto me
· 63:44 Behold these things are in his own hands, let him do according to wisdom.
TRUTH
So the Zion Zone person is anxiously engaged in good causes.
DIVINE FORGETFULNESS (58:42-43)
These verses teach us some important elements of repentance. What are they? How do we know if someone is truly repentant? They confess and forsake. Both are important in our road to recovery. I've often heard students ask me what sins would cause someone to have to go and talk with the bishop. And I tell them that the wording of their question reveals a bit of a misunderstanding. They think confession is a punishment. When do I HAVE to go talk to the bishop? And I tell them that confession is not a part of the punishment of sin, but part of the cure. God doesn't want you to go speak to a priesthood leader to humiliate you, to teach you a lesson, but to help you. So go to the bishop when you need help, when you need counsel, when you need somebody to talk to, when you feel guilty and don't know what to do. It's true that the church tells us that serious sins should be resolved with a priesthood leader, but that's just because those are usually the kind of sins that require the most outside help in order to overcome. So please, don’t be afraid to confess.
On the other hand, we need to forsake sin as well. Leave it behind. Don't return to it. This is an important part of repentance as well. Yes, some sins take time to overcome, and relapses may occur, but it would be an inappropriate attitude to live a life only confessing sin but never intending to try to change. Confessing AND forsaking is vital in the repentance process. Don't do one, without the other.
But then, the part I love most about this is the promise. If we are willing to repent, what does he assure us? He remembers them no more. God forgets them. He's not just a forgiving God, but a forgetting God. What a miracle!
Like he said in Ezekiel 33:16
16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
Now we may remember them. We may mention them again, but God will not.
The activity for this section is a story. The best thing that’s helped me to understand this truth is a little imaginary scenario my father has shared with me. I’d like to have you imagine this as well. Imagine the judgment, now I don’t imagine the judgment like a courtroom, but more like the way our worthiness is judged here on earth--as an interview with a priesthood leader. Just you and him, two chairs in a comfortable room. So I imagine myself walking into a room, and in the middle are two beautiful wing back chairs facing each other. I sit down in one of them, when a door opens and none other than Jesus Christ himself enters in and takes the other chair. He looks at me and says, this is your judgment, I would like to ask you some questions about your worthiness to enter my kingdom. Did you obey my commandments? And what would you say to that question? I know what I would say, I would squeak out an “I tried". To which he says, well let's see and then between us a little screen pops up and starts to play scenes from my life. And what does he show me? All the times that I'd been obedient in my life. All the times I told the truth. All the times I reached out to serve somebody. All the times I resisted temptation. All the times I turned off the inappropriate music or movie. And then the screen disappears, and he looks at me again and says, "Well, did you obey my commandments? And after seeing all that I say, YES, and he’s just about to move on to the next question when I can’t help but interrupt and say, but wait a second, you only showed me the good things, what about all my failures, what about all the times I didn’t choose the right, all the times I didn’t tell the truth, or turn off the movie, or help the person in need? You didn’t show me any of those! And with that he looks back at me with great love and says, “Oh, I don’t remember that”. Then he asks a second question. Did you preach my gospel? And again, I would say, I tried? To which he responds, well let’s see, the screen pops up and scenes begin to play. He shows me friends I invited to church in my youth, scenes from my two-year mission in Brazil, my efforts to share the gospel with my neighbors, and the visits I made as a home teacher or minister to reactivate less active families. And then the screen disappears, and he asks the question again. So, did you preach my gospel? and I say Yes, Lord, but what about my failures? What about all the times I didn’t share the gospel, I’ll the times I kept to myself on the airplane, all the times I could’ve made more efforts to share and invite my neighbors but didn’t. Again, he looks at me with great love and says, "Oh, I don’t remember that". And the questions just continue on and on like that, did you redeem the dead, were you a good father, were you a loving husband, did you serve faithfully in your church callings, on and on like that, and each time, my failures are forgotten. Do you feel the power in that verse and the miracle of that promise? And how would that make you feel towards your Savior in that moment. Could you feel anything other than unutterable love for a being that can forget? Now that mercy can only be offered to the repentant, but it is offered. He will remember yours sins no more. This is one of my favorite principles in all of the gospel.
TRUTH
A Zion Zone person confesses and forsakes their sins and trusts in God's forgiveness and forgetfulness.
COMMANDMENT CORONATION (59:1-4)
The first two verses here reiterate the importance of keeping the commandments. And the Lord promises a crown to any that do. What will he crown them with though? There are three things. I imagine a crown with three beautiful jewels set in it. What are they? Two of them are what you would expect. But the third is a surprising one. What are we crowned with? Blessings from above, and revelations in their time which make sense and are typical of the promises we usually see for obedience. But what's the remaining blessing? What's the other jewel? Commandments not a few. It's like the Lord is saying to us. So, you've been obedient, and you've sacrificed, and you've worked hard to walk my straight and narrow path, you've kept my commandments. Do you want to know what your reward is? And we're all excited, and we say, "what is it, what is it?”. "You get . . . more commandments! Not a few, but lot's more!" And how do we react? We say "Yay! Good! We love your commandments. Wow! We get more rules! Thank you!" Now is that the way we usually view commandments? As a blessing? Something to be crowned with? We say that if we understand the true nature of commandments. We see them as blessings.
There are some other places in the Doctrine and Covenants that send that same message. Can you see it?
Doctrine and Covenants 20:7
7 And gave unto him commandments which inspired him;
Doctrine and Covenants 51:15
15 And thus I grant unto this people a privilege of organizing themselves according to my laws.
Doctrine and Covenants 76:7
7 And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.
And you know, if there was any word that I could change in the gospel, if the Lord allowed me an edit, it would be the word commandments. Because, what part of that word immediately jumps out at you? Command, right? It kind of gives off that "Do what I say because I say so" kind of vibe. But that's not the true spirit of commandments. Remember that wickedness never was happiness, but righteousness always was happiness. So I would call them "happy-ments". Or "divine help-ments". Or godly guidance-ments. Or "how to live a blessed and joyful life so Satan doesn't deceive you and make your life miserable-ments” I don't know, but almost anything other than commandments. It is a sign of spiritual maturity when we realize the purpose of "The rules". That commandments are not fences that keep us in, but guardrails that keep the bad stuff out. This is a principle that the youth sometimes really struggle to understand. Because they're not always wild about rules or being told what they should do. I ask them if they have ever felt like this when it comes to the commandments. Like they're behind bars. And then I tell them, you know what, you are right! The commandments are like bars! Bars that protect you. Like when you go to the Zoo. There are bars, right. But how many people do you see begging to get into the tiger’s cage? Do they complain, gosh, they won't let us do anything around here. I hate all these restrictions. No. We're grateful that the bars are there, aren't we? Hopefully, we see commandments the same way. They are blessings, they inspire us, they are a privilege, they represent the good pleasure of God's will.
TRUTH
A Zion Zone people love to receive commandments. They see them as a reward.
SABBATH DAY SUGGESTIONS (59:8-16)
Now, I can't help but go a little deeper on this section. It's one of the best places anywhere in scripture on the Sabbath day. And sometimes I think we focus a lot on what we shouldn't do on the Sabbath. That's it's a day of shouldnt's. But I don't really like that approach. And it's not the approach the Lord seems to use either. One of the things that displeased Jesus most about the Pharisees was their obsession with Sabbath day restrictions and rules. He even said, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). In other words, the Sabbath should be a blessing to man. A positive thing. So I like to look for the Should's of the Sabbath day. The activity for this section is a study guide that can help your students better understand the goodness of the Sabbath. I call it Sabbath-Day Should's. Have them take some time to study these verses and fill in the questions.
So let's start with the should's
What are the Sabbath day should's?
· :9 In verse 9, Go to the house of prayer. That's one thing we should definitely do. Go to church. Go and worship with your fellow Saints. Give of your time and talents and testimony to others while they do the same for you. Yes, personal and family worship is important and beneficial, but communal worship is also essential for our spiritual growth.
· :9 Also in verse nine. Offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day. The primary purpose and focus of sacrament meeting is the sacrament itself. The sacrament is the way we invite the cleansing power of Christ's atonement into our lives.
· :10 Rest from your labors. The Sabbath is a day of rest. I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who understands the importance of rest in our lives. He set the example himself after the creation. And I think rest can have a few different implications here. I think it's more than just a day of physical rest. It certainly can be, and I for one do enjoy taking a quick nap after my meetings and interviews on Sundays. But as a bishop, and I know many other callings carry heavy Sunday responsibilities as well, it may not always seem like a day of rest. But the rest could be defined differently as well. It could also just be a rest from worldly labors and concerns. It is good for our souls to take at least one day in the week to get away from the labors, and diversions, and temporal concerns of everyday life and devote it to spiritual matters. It's a day of rest from the world. When I look at it that way, it totally changes the nature of the so called shouldnt's of the Sabbath. We're not looking for a list of things that we can't do on Sunday, but things that we get to rest from for just one day. We get to rest from professional concerns, from shopping and errands, and from temporal needs. We get to turn our focus towards God and spiritual renewal. It's a good thing for us!
· :10 Pay thy devotions unto the Most High. Similar in theme to our last one, the Sabbath can be a day where we dedicate our attention to God and recommit ourselves to Him.
· :12 Offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the most high. And I'm going to come back to that one in just a few minutes.
· :12 We can confess our sins unto our brethren and before the Lord. Like we spoke about in section 58, confession can be a very healing thing. Sometimes that confession needs to be to our priesthood leaders, and sometimes it needs to be before the Lord.
· :13 Do none other thing. Now that is kind of sounds like a shouldn't, doesn't it--but it reinforces the idea of rest. It is true that there are things that we shouldn't do on the Sabbath, but he doesn't mention any here. I guess he's going to leave that up to us to decide. Remember he doesn't want slothful servants that have to be commanded in all things. Look to the Spirit--use your judgments, I'm sure we can all figure out things that are probably better left to other days of the week. But I'm not going to prescribe to you what those things are.
· :13 Let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart. I think the singleness of heart phrase can be applied to more than just food preparation. But anything that we need to do on the Sabbath, can be done with the proper frame of mind, or frame of heart. It should be a heart focused on the purposes of the Sabbath. All things done with spiritual renewal and worship of God in mind. We try not to allow ourselves to be sidetracked by temporal concerns.
Now, what are the blessings of the Sabbath?
· :9 That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world. The world leaves a lot of spots on us as we go throughout the week. It's almost impossible to avoid them isn't it. It's not that we've jumped into the perilous pool with them, but all that splashing has sprinkled up onto our clothing and left us slightly stained. Now if we never took the time to clean ourselves, eventually, we probably would end up looking like the rest of the world. But what makes the difference? Our weekly day of worship washes the wickedness away and gives us a fresh start to our week. It's our Sabbath day spin cycle.
· :10 Maybe this was one that was harder to find, but I would say the blessing here is rest. And as we've already discussed, rest renews us.
· :13 Joy. The Sabbath should bring us joy. I like how Isaiah put it in 58:13, the Sabbath can be a delight for us. I know that as I was growing up, my parents did some things to help make the Sabbath a delight for us. They always had a positive attitude towards going to church, or having the home teachers over, or enjoying a family gospel lesson together. Sometimes we would play board games together or do puzzles. Then, we always had the three D's in the evening. Dinner, Disney, and dessert. My mother would always make a big special meal on that day, then we would sit down and watch a Disney movie together and eat ice cream. It helped to make the Sabbath a delight. My wife and I have sought to implement these same things into our Sabbath day worship for our own children.
· :14 Again, the idea of rejoicing
· :16 The fulness of the earth will be ours. Here God seems to promise temporal blessings as well as spiritual for Sabbath day observance.
After reviewing these blessings, you can ask some of your students to share their answer to the next question: "When have you seen one of these blessings in your life from Sabbath Day observance?"
There is a caution in verse 11. What is it and why do you think that’s important?
The caution is to not only offer up our vows of righteousness on Sunday, but on all days and at all times. We don't want to be mere "Sunday Saints", but instead, "Daily Disciples". I'm sure it's discouraging to the Lord to see his people act in one way on the Sabbath, but completely differently during the rest of the week. That practice has a name. It's called hypocrisy. Hopefully we can "take up our cross daily" in the name of the Savior, and not just stash it in our closets next to our Sunday shoes and Sunday clothing.
This next section may seem redundant, but I did wish to make a point with it. I was really intrigued by the verbiage used in many of the instructions in this section. Notice how often it mentions something that we are to give on the Sabbath. I think we often might go to church looking for and focusing on what the Church can do for us. But that may not be the best approach. We offer or pay something when we worship. If we go to church looking for what we have to offer, it can change the entire experience. And what can we offer?
In verse 8, we offer a broken heart and a contrite Spirit. And in verse 9 we offer up our sacraments. We usually talk about partaking the sacrament, but here it tells us to offer something. Christ is bringing his atonement, his saving and enabling power, his sacrifice to the table, but what are we bringing? The only thing we really can offer that is ours to give. A broken heart and a contrite spirit. That's what we can lay on the table. Our will. Our agency. Our humility and desire to do as he has directed.
In verse 10 we pay our devotions unto the Most High. Devotion is loyalty, allegiance, or consistency.
In verse 11 we offer up our vows in righteousness. What vows do we offer? To take upon ourselves his name, to keep his commandments and always remember him.
And in verse 12 we offer our oblations and our sacraments unto the Most High. I love the word oblations. Look at the footnote definition. They are offerings, whether of time, talents, or means, in service of God and fellowman. How's that for a should! How's that for an offering. We come to church to offer our time, and talents, and means, in service to others.
TRUTH
A Zion Zone people find joy and purpose in the Sabbath day.
CREATION RELATIONS (59:16-20)
Final brick here. For an activity with these verses, another short video. A number of years ago, I remember when the BBC put out its new nature documentary series called Planet Earth and I just remember being transfixed by it. I'd never seen a nature documentary done so well and it just reminded me of how amazing and beautiful our planet is. So to begin this section I might show my class a quick trailer for the show that displays some of the beauties of our planet. Before I start it, I ask them to focus on what our planet reveals about our Heavenly Father.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUp_P2g8sAc
Some of the things that I notice are that he loves color, and diversity, and beauty. You know he didn't really have to. He could have made it monochromatic, mundane, and uniform. But instead, he gave us grandeur, and artistry, and intricateness.
This is a principle that is near and dear to my heart. I imagine you've been able to sense my love and enthusiasm for the outdoors over the years that we've studied together. I know that many of my examples and illustrations revolve around outdoor activities. That's why I love these verses that offer great insight on how we are to view and use the resources of the earth. And here's how they can help us. There are two sides to the environmental debate and sometimes we may find ourselves swinging too far to the extremes. On one side we have the idea that earth was made for man and we should use its resources all we want. That man can and should conquer nature and tame it and take advantage of the wealth it can provide us. On the other side is the idea that man was made for the earth. That man should not use its resources, that things should be left exactly in the position that they are found, that the earth should be protected, that no animal life should be taken, no trees cut down, no industry created. On which of those two sides does God seem to fall?
The Lord says:
16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.
So which side does he come down on? As you might expect, he's in the middle. We've talked about this a lot. Balance. The middle way. So on one side, he tells us that yes, the resources of the earth have been made for the use of man. So it's ok to cut down trees to build a home. It's ok to mine the hillsides for ore. It's ok to take animal life to eat. The earth was made for man and not vice versa.
However, there is a balancing principle here. These things were made to be used with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion. We must be wise in our use of earth's resources. It's not just take all you can get. Use, use, use with no thought for renewal, or beauty or future impact. Some things have been created for food, raiment, houses, barns, and gardens--but that other things have been put on this earth for the sole purpose of pleasing the eye, and gladdening the heart, and enlivening the soul. So yes, it's ok to cut down trees to produce lumber that will allow you to build a home. BUT, you don't cut down the giant redwoods or the sequoias to make railroad ties. Yes, we've got to do something with our trash and waste and we're going to have to dedicate some areas of the planet for that purpose. BUT, you don't look at the Grand Canyon and say, "What a perfect natural landfill, let's put all our trash in here." Yes, we can eat chicken, and pork, and beef, and fish. However, I think there's. a difference between killing a chicken and killing a bald eagle. Some things are made for the use of man for food and raiment, while others are just there to please the eye and to gladden the heart. Another area where taking animal life would be justified is when there are pests that are causing destruction to your property. I believe that God would approve of us setting mousetraps or for ranchers to kill coyote's that are threatening their livestock.
God wishes us to use this beautiful planet wisely and to appreciate it. The earth itself teaches us something amazing about the personality of God. It says that it pleases him to give us these things. It pleases him to give us a beautiful place to live and experience life. He didn't have to make food taste delicious, or flowers smell good, or fill the earth with amazing landscapes and colors and varieties of animal life. When I go hiking or climbing or backpacking, I really do feel a closeness to my Heavenly Father, and I understand more fully what kind of a being he is. Think of the creations of God that you enjoy. What creations please your eye, gladden your heart, and enliven your soul?
For me, I feel that love of my Heavenly Father, standing on the peaks of the Wasatch front or the Uinta’s, hiking through slot canyons and arches of the red rock country of Southern Utah. I've felt my Heavenly Father's love while backpacking in Glacier National Park, or looking into the geysers and colorful pools of Yellowstone, or standing at the edge of Niagara Falls. I've felt it looking up at the giant fjords of Norway, the beautiful snowcapped Alps, the jagged mountains of Guilin in China, the Glaciers of Alaska, the jungles of Central America, and the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean. And there are so many other places on this planet that I have yet to have had the privilege of exploring. Some of the places I most want to see before I die are the Himalayas, Hawaii and Fiji, the big game animals of Africa, New Zealand and Patagonia. God willing, I'll get a chance to enjoy their beauty as well. The earth is so big and has so much to offer us. Hopefully we can spend our lives letting it please our eyes, gladden our hearts, and enliven our souls.
TRUTH
A Zion Zone people understand the balance of the earth's resources and are grateful for God's creations.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Well, I know that was a lot. And in one class period you probably wouldn't have time to do it all. But whatever you do cover, you should try to give your students the last minutes of the class to liken the scriptures unto themselves. To choose at least one of the bricks that they want to focus in on a little more than the others. You could give them this application activity to help them in that process. What it will have them do is choose one of the “bricks" that they feel they most need to focus on this next week. Then, it asks them a "Liken the Scriptures" question specific to that brick. Then it leaves a space for them to write in what their next action would be to more fully apply that "Zion Zone" attitude in their lives.
This activity can help make the lesson much more specific and personalized to each individual. Now I'm not going to go through each of the questions with you here, but I encourage you to take a look at it if you plan to teach this lesson. I've found that it can be a very meaningful experience for students to have this brief quiet pondering time to reflect on what they've learned that day.
CONCLUSION
I hope that you've learned something today from our time together. And you know what, there are so many other principles we could have covered in here. But I do feel that what we have covered can help you to better understand the Zion Zone disposition. I'd like to conclude with a verse of promise from the final verses of section 59. Verse 23:
23 But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come. May those blessings be yours. I testify that they will be as you strive to do the works of righteousness that we've talked about today.
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